The present invention relates to a tire condition monitoring system for providing indication of a tire operation parameter, such as tire inflation pressure, to a vehicle operator. The present invention relates specifically to a tire condition monitoring system that provides ready identification of a tire providing condition information and avoids misidentification due to previous tire position change via tire position rotation or the like.
Numerous tire condition monitoring systems have is been developed in order to provide tire operation information to a vehicle operator. One example type of a tire condition monitor system is a tire: pressure monitor system that detects when air pressure within a tire drops below a predetermined threshold pressure value.
There is an increasing need for the use of tire pressure monitoring systems due to the increasing use of xe2x80x9crun-flatxe2x80x9d tires for vehicles such as automobiles. A run-flat tire enables a vehicle to travel an extended distance after significant loss of air pressure within that tire. However, a vehicle operator may have difficulty recognizing the significant loss of air pressure within the tire because the loss of air pressure may cause little change in vehicle handling and visual appearance of the tire.
Typically, a tire pressure monitoring system includes a pressure sensing device, such as a pressure switch, an internal power source, and a communications link that provides the tire pressure information from a location at each tire to a central receiver. The central receiver is typically connected to an indicator or display located on a vehicle instrument panel.
The communications link between each tire and the central receiver is often a wireless link. In particular, radio frequency signals are utilized to transmit information from each of the tires to the central receiver. However, in order for the central receiver to be able to proper associate received tire pressure information with the tire associated with the transmission, some form of identification of the origin of the signal must be utilized. Such a need for identification of the origin of the transmitted tire information signal becomes especially important subsequent to a tire position change, such a routine maintenance tire position rotation.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a tire condition communication system for a vehicle that has a tire. Sensor means, associated with the tire, senses at least one tire condition. Memory means, associated with the tire, holds an identification. Transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to the sensor means and the memory means, transmits a signal that indicates the held identification and the sensed tire condition. Receiver means, associated with the vehicle, for receives the transmitted signal indicative of the held identification and the sensed tire condition. The system includes manually actuated input means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to the memory means, for inputting an update identification to be held by the memory means as the held identification.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a method of communicating information within tire condition monitoring system for a vehicle that has a tire. An input means is manually actuated to input update identification information for a tire condition sensor unit located at the tire. The input identification is held at the tire condition sensor unit. A tire condition is sensed via operation of the tire condition sensor unit. A signal is transmitted from the tire condition sensor unit, wherein the transmitted the signal indicates the held identification and the sensed tire condition. The transmitted signal is received at a location on the vehicle.